By Chad Frey, Newton Kansan, The Kansan; February 27, 2019
Another round of the fight to preserve the Southwest Chief came to a close Feb. 27, as Amtrak notified Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan) of the organization’s intent to release $3 million to participate in a TIGER grant awarded for renovations to rails in Colorado and New Mexico.
“As the divide between urban and rural communities in America continues to expand, passenger rail services like the Southwest Chief are valuable in connecting Kansans to the rest of the country,” Moran said. “Local communities whose residents and businesses depend on Amtrak should be provided the stability of rail service that the Southwest Chief has delivered to them for decades, which is why I am pleased that Amtrak has upheld its commitment to repair, improve and continue the Southwest Chief rail line. I appreciate my colleagues from New Mexico and Colorado and our bipartisan efforts to keep this line in service.”